LOUIS VUITTON PACIFIC SERIES SPEECH

Viaduct Harbour Marine Village, Auckland
Saturday 31^st January 2009; 7:30pm

Nau mai Haere Mai. It's my pleasure on behalf of Prime Minister John Key to extend a welcome to you, the international and local media, and of course a great number of special guests from the yachting world who are here in Auckland to contest this inaugural Louis Vuitton Pacific series.

Auckland offers a spectacular back drop for sailing and we know from past experience the city will rise to the occasion of making this a truly world class event. Everyone connected with this event is thrilled at the interest it has generated, and at such short notice. Many of the biggest names in world yachting are here, and its brilliant to host you in New Zealand.

It's also notable that this particular event has been the catalyst for the sort of camaraderie and good will that the hard bitten international sporting media might find hard to believe. It's an outstanding gesture that Emirates Team New Zealand has provided two boats for the races and BMW Oracle Racing has provided the other two. I know that a hardworking team of thirty Kiwi and American shore crew members have been working throughout the holiday period to prepare the boats for racing.

Everyone knows that we Kiwis love our sailing and we're proud of our history in the sport - we've been well represented on the international yachting stage in every aspect of the sport. We also have fantastic expertise in this country in the boat building industry, and so we're particularly excited by the announcement last week BMW Oracle is on the verge of moving its main boat building operations from Washington to Warkworth. It's extremely encouraging and positive news in the current economic climate.

From the government's perspective, this event is a fantastic opportunity for New Zealand and we appreciate the role the media will play in keeping this country of ours on the international radar. Because this event goes far beyond yachting in terms of its importance. It provides a chance to showcase the country around the globe at a time when the world is facing huge challenges economically. Tourism provides one in 10 New Zealand jobs, is our largest industry and our largest earner of foreign exchange. The vital place of tourism is highlighted by the fact that the Prime Minister himself is the Minister for Tourism - and for our overseas guests it's a long, long time since a senior Minister has taken that portfolio, let alone the Prime Minister.

An event such as the Louis Vuitton Pacific series is publicity for this country that money just can't buy; it's going to be important in helping keep New Zealand on the map for people around the world who might just catch a bit of action on the television, read about it in their local daily paper or on the net and decide to visit.

So as regards the international media, you are especially welcome here. I know many of you will be familiar with New Zealand from past visits, and to those that haven't please get out around the place. We hope you have a great time - make sure you file some great stories about your experiences in New Zealand, both on and off the water.

Myself, I'm looking forward to being the eighteenth man on one of the boats in a couple of weeks. The PM was really looking forward to the opportunity but unfortunately he's a got a cast on his arm at present, so I'm getting that particular job and I'm not complaining.

This series wouldn't be happening without the contribution of sponsors Sky City Entertainment Group, who are our hosts here tonight and of course Louis Vuitton. However this series would never have got off the ground in the first place without the efforts of two individuals, Grant Dalton and Bruno Trouble. The vision of these two men is directly responsible for the outstanding yachting that we are to be treated to over the next couple of weeks. From what I understand Grant had the germ of the idea of a Louis Vuitton Cup series in New Zealand waters, Bruno picked up the ball and ran with it after Louis Vuitton had rejected Grant's initial concept, and the result is this Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

Grant needs no introduction as a New Zealand sailing icon, but it's clear that his contribution to this county goes way beyond his sailing skills and Grant, for that New Zealand has a lot to be thankful for.

Monsieur Trouble has been synonymous with Louis Vuitton and international sailing for decades. Bruno was a fixture in Auckland for a number of years and has been a great unofficial ambassador for this country, often instrumental in engineering magnificent coverage of New Zealand throughout previous campaigns. He's an honorary officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, receiving the honour for enhancing relations between NZ and France.

Bruno vous etes un vrai ami de Nouvelle Zealand, et c'est un grand plaisir de vous acuillir a Auckland.

Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy the yachting and enjoy your time here in New Zealand. It's a pleasure to have you here in our country.